China Unhappy With India Over BrahMos Crusie Missile Deployment Near Its Borders

Our Bureau

03:36 PM, August 22, 2016

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BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

China has warned India against deployment of BrahMos cruise missiles in the north eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

India’s move to deploy the missile as a deterrent against China has provoked a sharp response from China’s state-run news daily. The Indian government has ordered the Indian Army to deploy an advanced version of the BrahMos missile earlier this month.

The PLA Daily, has warned India that doing so could attract countermeasures from China and bring “a negative influence” to “stability” of border areas. “India deploying supersonic missiles on the border has exceeded its own needs for self-defense and poses a serious threat to China’s Tibet and Yunnan provinces,” said the commentary, published this weekend in the PLA’s influential official newspaper.

The Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, had cleared this fourth BrahMos regiment at a cost of over Rs 4,300 crore.

The regiment consists of around 100 missiles, five mobile autonomous launchers on 12×12 heavy-duty trucks, and a mobile command post.

India is also stationing its Su-30MKI fighter aircraft at the newly opened airfield barely 100 km bordering China.

“The refurbished advanced landing ground at Pasighat in south east Arunachal Pradesh is as good as new, with a complete airstrip,” a senior IAF officer had said last Wednesday. “Pasighat ALG is a strategic asset it is capable of operating all types of aircrafts and helicopters. It improves our response time. Besides it will also increase our air operations in the eastern frontier," Group Captain Amit Mahajan said.

The advanced landing ground can be used by heavy fighters like the Su-30MKI and heavy lift transport planes like the US-built C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. It will be one of the operating bases under the Eastern Air Command capable of operating all types of aircraft and helicopters.

This is the fifth forward airfield that has been refurbished and opened up for air operations in recent times. Earlier this year, the forward airfields at Mechuk, also in West Siang district and Ziro, Along and Walong were made operational.